3 syllables: Pho, bi, as. Stress on Pho.
FOH-bee-uhz
/ˈfoʊbiəz/
Phobias is pronounced FOH-bee-uhz (/ˈfoʊbiəz/). It has three syllables (Pho-bi-as), with the stress on "Pho". Phobias are intense, persistent fears of specific objects, activities, or situations that provoke extreme anxiety and avoidance. They are a recognized anxiety disorder, typically conditioned or learned, and can disrupt daily functioning. The plural form refers to multiple such fears, affecting behavior, thinking, and physical responses when exposed to the feared stimuli.
nounPhobias are intense, persistent fears of specific objects, activities, or situations that provoke extreme anxiety and avoidance. They are a recognized anxiety disorder, typically conditioned or learned, and can disrupt daily functioning. The plural form refers to multiple such fears, affecting behavior, thinking, and physical responses when exposed to the feared stimuli.
"She developed phobias of spiders after a frightening incident as a child."
"His phobias made flying to conferences nearly impossible, even though he knew the odds were safe."
"Therapy helped reduce her phobias by gradually exposing her to the feared environments."
Phobias is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/ (US) or /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/ (UK). Break it into three syllables: FOE-bee-uhz. Begin with a long /oʊ/ vowel, then a light unstressed /i/ followed by /ə/ or /ɪə/ in some accents, and end with /əz/. Keep the /b/ sound clear between the first and second syllable and don’t reduce the final -ias to a Schwa-heavy ending. Audio resources: listen for /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/ in dictionaries and pronunciation videos.
Common errors: misplacing stress (saying fo-BEE-us), mispronouncing the first syllable as /ˈfaɪ/ or /ˈfoʊ/ with a short o, and slurring the final syllables (saying /-jəs/ or /-æz/). Correction: keep the primary stress on the first syllable and use /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/ (US) or /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/ (UK); enunciate the final /-əz/ as a light, unstressed /-əz/ rather than a pronounced /-iz/ or /-əs/. Practice with slow syllable-by-syllable articulation before speeding up.
US: /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/ with a clear /oʊ/ and rhotic /r/lessness not present. UK: /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/ with a clipped /ə/ in the first syllable and non-rhotic r-like absence; AU: /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/ similar to UK but with smoother vowel merging and less pronounced final /z/ in rapid speech. Pay attention to vowel length and quality; US tends to preserve a stronger diphthong in /oʊ/ whereas UK/AU may have a more centralized /əʊ/ quality.
Two main challenges: the initial /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/ diphthong and the final /əz/ cluster. Many non-native speakers default to /foʊ-bes/ or /foʊ-bee-az/, confusing the final consonant cluster. The unstressed middle syllable is subtle and easy to reduce, but in careful speech it remains a separate syllable /bi/. Practice by isolating each phoneme, ensuring the /b/ is crisp and the final /əz/ is light and voiced. IPA cues: US /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/; UK/AU /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/.
The unique aspect is the transition from the stressed first syllable to the unstressed middle and then a soft, voiced final cluster /-əz/. Some speakers anticipate the final /z/ with a fricated release, causing a subtle zh-like color if not careful. Maintain a clean release on the final /z/ by keeping the tongue tip near the alveolar ridge and voicing for that brief moment. IPA reference: /ˈfoʊ.bi.əz/ (US); /ˈfəʊ.bi.əz/ (UK/AU).
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Phobia comes from the Greek word phobos meaning ‘fear’ or ‘flight,’ a root that appears in many terms describing fear or aversion. The suffix -ia denotes a noun form, often indicating a condition or state. The term phobia first entered English in the 19th century in medical literature to classify irrational and persistent fears beyond normal caution. Historically, early usage linked phobias to conditions like agoraphobia or claustrophobia, and over time the scope broadened to include a range of specific fears (animal, natural environment, situational, blood-injection-injury). The concept evolved with psychological theories of conditioning, avoidance learning, and anxiety spectrum disorders. Today, phobias are diagnosed in clinical manuals and are understood as causing significant distress or impairment, even when the feared stimulus is non-threatening. Throughout its history, the word has maintained a precise clinical sense—fears that are excessive, persistent, and unreasonable—while also entering common usage to describe mild to moderate avoidance tendencies in everyday life.
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Words that rhyme with "Phobias"
-ias sounds
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